Letter to the Editor

Maybe experience would bring improvement

Friday, January 30, 2009

To the Editor:

I am a 72-year-old retired man from IBM.

I have been a silent business partner on the square for more than 30 years. My old address was on South Locust street two blocks south of Washington Street.

Through the years I have seen many of things changing. We were accustomed to plowed streets, sidewalks and curbs that connected to the next neighborhood and storm sewers hidden underground not draining through our backyards.

Seven years ago I moved to a housing addition south of Veterans Memorial Highway. Yes it is quiet here, but I can't believe how much of a change there was by moving here.

City services here are not to be bragged about. I think sometimes we overlook the quality of our experienced personnel to move a newer person in on management hoping that he or she would do a better job.

Do we really know what experience these people have when we move them up? If we hire an engineer for a project do we take the time to check his credentials, his background? Does he know or have access to underground utilities that might have been there for 80 years plus?

Does he really know what to be expect from his or her peers and what is expected of his or her services? If so, shouldn't all management positions require the same?

Take a drive down around the main streets of Greencastle and then drive south of the southern highway. Maybe we need to train our workers on all aspects of the job, not just patching holes.

Mark Randall

Greencastle